Congressman Jack Kingston’s subcommittee assignments have given him a grasp of a wider-than-ever array of federal purse strings.Last week, the Morning News noted Kingston was named chairman of a subcommittee of the budget-writing House Appropriations Committee. As expected, he Savannah lawmaker was appointed to chair the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies. As the senior Republican, he was in line to move up after the GOP won control of the House in the Nov. 2 elections.

Key Georgia supporters of Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich don’t seem overly eager for him to hold out to the bitter end.

But, nor do they seem determined to nudge him toward the exit, despite his dismal showings in recent primaries.

The former Georgia congressman and House speaker finished last in two of Tuesday’s three contests. But he vowed to fight on until frontrunner Mitt Romney has the majority of convention delegates needed for the nomination. The former Massachusetts governor is well on his way,

Poor Phil Kent.The conservative commentator was the fall guy in one of the more bizarre moments to date in the 2010 gubernatorial campaign.It was partly Kent’s fault — we’ll get to that shortly — but he apparently was set up, by whom it’s not yet clear.But first some background.As everyone who’s paying attention knows, Democrat Roy Barnes has posted online 25 years worth of income tax returns.And the former governor’s been hounding Republican nominee Nathan Deal to do the same. Barnes hopes that will turn up something that supports various ethics charges a

Savannah Republican activist Clint Murphy is aTwitter about the GOP nominee for governor.Murphy, former chairman of the Savannah Area Young Republicans, worked for former Secretary of State Karen Handel in the primary.The former Savannah City Council candidate is clearly unimpressed with Nathan Deal, who beat Handel in bruising runoff battle.Here are a few of Murphy’s recent Tweets.“GA’s citizens deserve better than Nathan Deal & it’s time people draw the line on electing scandal plagued pols to higher office.” “I urge all of my GOP friends in GA to put principles, h